Monica's Story: My Lover's Gone
by copperandstars
Summary: It's nearing Valentines Day and Monica is feeling alone after eleven years without her husband. Little does she know that she's not the only one thinking about what used to be.


Author: Lyssa (copperandstars)

Email: jadedanimosity@yahoo.com

Rating: PG

Category: Monica/Other

Disclaimer: I only own the plot. Monica Pratt belongs to the writers of the WB summer series _Young Americans. The song used within the story is __My Lover's Gone by Dido._

Feedback: Is not needed, but would be nice. I accept any type of criticism there is, so feel free to type away.

****

Monica Pratt inserted the key into the lock and turned it. When she heard the click, she turned the knob and pushed on the door. Finally, she was home. She threw her keys onto the table placed next to the door. Then she thought better of it and hung the keys on the key rack. The key rack was an old thing, made by a friend of Jason for their wedding. Jason. The man she had loved with all her heart and soul. The man who had deserted her and Jacqueline so many years before. Monica slipped off her shoes and laid them by the door. She remembered how Jason used to freak when she didn't. She looked at the spot on the floor mat where her shoes lay, and sighed. Monica walked through the big foyer and into the kitchen. 

_My lover's gone, his boots no longer by my door_

Monica sat down with the reheated food that Consula had left in the microwave for her. She couldn't help but not think of Jason. It was almost Valentines Day. The day they had their first date. 

::FLASHBACK:: 

"Where are we going?" asked Monica, laughing. Jason had tied a bandanna over her eyes and was now leading her somewhere. 

"Shh. Just wait. We're almost there." Jason told her, laughing as well. He stopped in front of a table. "Here we are. You can take off the blindfold now." Monica obeyed and when the obstruction was away from her eyes, she gasped at the most romantic sight she had ever seen. In front of her was dinner for two. Two candles were lit and there was a platter cover over two plates. A bottle of Champaign lay on ice, ready to be opened. "Happy Valentines Day, baby." Jason said and kissed her on the cheek before leading her over to the table. 

::END FLASHBACK:: 

Valentines day, the same day that Jason proposed to her. 

::FLASHBACK:: 

"Jason, what are you doing?" Monica inquired. Jason was leaning on one knee and was holding a box in front of the two of them. 

"Monica, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" 

"Yes. Yes, I will!" Monica kissed Jason and placed the ring on her finger. 

::END FLASHBACK:: 

Three years later they had Jacqueline. They seemed so happy. Then only four short years later, he was gone. Jason had left. 

_He left at dawn, and as I slept I felt him go_

He was gone. She tried to hide it from Jackie, and it didn't work. Monica broke down after one week and told her. Jackie was crushed. 

_Returns no more_

Months went by and she heard nothing from him. For Jackie's sixth birthday, Monica and Debra, Monica's mother, took her to the shore. Monica refused to go swimming, she refused to watch the waves and their calming undulations and mists. The water reminded her too much of Jason. He was a champion surfer, at least he was in her mind. He used to talk about moving Monica and Jackie out of the smog ridden city and onto the New Jersey Shore. He hated the city, but Monica loved it, and so he bared it. Monica used to tease him about the way he referred to New York as "her home" and not "our home." So Monica avoided the water and all its glory. 

_I will not watch the ocean_

Monica looked down at her untouched plate of steak and mashed potatoes. She picked up her knife and fork and began to eat her food, trying to concentrate on what she was doing, and not the insistent, nagging thoughts. Jackie was fifteen now, and yet Monica knew how much she missed her father. Monica missed him, too, and would often use her acting career as an excuse to not get involved with other men. She supposed that she wouldn't be able to use that as her excuse forever, but for now it was all that she needed. Her thoughts once again wandered back to the past. 

::FLASHBACK:: 

"Mommy, when is Daddy coming home?" a four year old Jacqueline asked her mother. It had been a week since Jason had left, and Monica just couldn't bring up the courage to tell this sweet and innocent little girl that her Daddy wouldn't be coming home anymore. 

"Well, Jackie, sweetie, Daddy won't be coming home." 

"Why not?" asked Jacqueline, confused. 

"Well, Daddy left. You see, there was something that he had to do, and so he left." Monica told her. Monica could see the tears forming in Jackie's eyes. Monica pulled Jackie closer to her and they sat and cried together. One because her Daddy left, and the other because her husband was gone and because Jackie would never know what a wonderful guy Jason really was. 

::END FLASHBACK:: 

_My lover's gone, no earthly ships will ever bring him again_

That was the saddest day that Monica had ever experienced. Her husband was never coming back, and she was going to have to accept that. 

_bring__ him home again_

Monica picked up her half eaten food and brought the plate back into the kitchen. She was exhausted. She was going to have to call Jackie in the morning, right now all that she wanted was some peace and quite. Walking up the stairs, she remembered her last day with Jason. The night before he left, he had given her an early Valentines Day present. It was early because Valentines was still two weeks away. He had given her a necklace, an early anniversary gift, is what he called it. It seemed a little strange to be receiving a gift that early, but thought nothing of it. She kissed him and that night was the last night she spent with Jason, the last night she kissed him, and loved him. 

_My lover's gone, I know that kiss will be my last_

He loved music. Monica entered her bedroom. It was a large room with a canopy bed and a large oak dresser in the corner. Monica walked over to the oak dresser and opened one of the drawers. She pulled out a silk night gown and began to get undressed. She swore that she could hear Jason's voice singing a song. Jason had been a musician and he used to sing Jackie to sleep at night. Monica loved the sound of his voice. When Jason was finished singing to Jackie, he would come into the bedroom where Monica would be waiting for him. He would lie down next to her, and he would begin singing to her. Monica would sometimes sing with him and together they made quite a team. 

_No more his song, the tune upon his lips has passed_

A few tears began to slide down Monica's face as she began humming the song that Jason would sing to Jackie every night. 

_I sing alone, while I watch the ocean_

::FLASHBACK:: 

"MOM, I'M HOME!" Jackie yelled up the stairs. No answer. Jackie walked up the stairs and looked through all the rooms. No one. As Jackie neared Monica's room, she could hear sobbing coming from the other side of the closed door. "Mom?" Jackie slowly opened the door, and was presented with the sight of her mother laying on the bed in a fetal position, crying. Not saying a word, Jackie walked over to the bed, and lay down next to her mother. It had been six years since the abandonment, and Monica still hurt. Jackie didn't really know her father in the sense of things, so she wasn't as affected by it, but Monica, Monica still wanted her husband to walk through that door and say 'I love you' to both his ten year old daughter and 30- something wife. Jackie held her mother until she was asleep and Jackie got up and crept out the room, closing the door behind her. 

::END FLASHBACK:: 

_My lover's gone, no earthly ships will ever_

_bring__ him home again_

Downstairs, the doorbell rang. Monica went downstairs to answer it. When she got to the door and opened it up, there was no one there. Thinking that she was hearing things, she turned to go back upstairs. Then something caught her eye. There was a brown package sitting on the front stoop. Opening the screen door to grab the package, she noticed that the return address wasn't there. Instead it just had one name one it. Jason Pratt. Monica almost dropped the package when she saw the name. She closed the door behind her and sat on the stairs to open the package. Inside were a box and a card. She opened the card first. She opened it up to read the message inside. "Happy Anniversary." She read. She opened the box to reveal a picture of herself, Jason, and a four month old Jacqueline. Monica began to cry, silent tears making criss-cross patterns down her cheeks and coming together to form a larger tear at the bottom of her chin. This tear grow until it plopped down onto the card and picture, splashing salty tasting water all over the gifts. **ocean** Monica noticed a piece of paper sticking out of the box. It held the lyrics of their favorite song. **sing**** alone** Monica read the lyrics and placed them back in the box along with the picture and card. She got up and began her way back into her room. 

_bring__ him home again_

**The End**


End file.
